Process of and apparatus for determining the elastic properties of plastic materials



FOR DETERMINING THE ELASTIC .PLA

CHOPIN July 6 1926.

MATERIALS 1925 :3 I Eli:

STIC 2e OF Filed Jan.

PROPERTIES PROCESS OF AND APPARAT [prep/02: 1

. Marcel 65 AZZarney Patented July 6, 1926.

- cnorm, or BouLosNn-sUn-sEiNE." rmcn, Assrcmon. rosocmrn n'Ex- PLOITATIONS DE BREVETS ET DAPPLIOATIONS IBANCE' INDUSTRIELLES, OF NANCY,

- r rnocnss or AND arrmrus ron DETERMINING THE ELASTIC 'rsornzarms or IELASTIG- MATERIALS.

Application filed January 26, 1925, Serial No. 4,840, and in France February 4, 1924; I

or flask 16. The base 1 may be fitted with The present invention involves ,a, process of, and an apparatus for, measuring the elastic properties'of plastic materials or substances; and it, is specially applicable to 35 flour dough, in which case the apparatus enables the baking value of a particular flour to be ascertained respecting both the swelling or rising that the dough of such flour may under during panification .andthe amount of read it'may=yield.

' The invention is essentially an improvement on, or development of, that disclosed in my Patent No. 1,468,900 granted September 25, 1923, to which reference may be had for an explanation of the fundamental theory.

As' therein described, the apparatus comprised in the invention provi es for the expansion of a test piece or sample of dough of redetermined shape and thickness into glo ular form, durin the course of, which the tenacity of the 'ough is measured, as well as the maximum extent to which it can be distendedup to the breaking point;

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view, mainly in vertical section, of the improved form of ap aratus, and-Fig. 2 represents a dia am 0 the ex ansion or defor-. mation of t e test piece 0 dough obtained by means of the apparatus.

As will be apparent, the present apparatus is broadly similar to that disclosed in my above-identified patent; and it comprises a metal base 1 surmounted by a circular metal plate 2. The center of this plate is formed with a efrusto conical opening 3 which is adapted to be closed by a similarly shaped plugvalve 4 carried by a spring-loaded vertic rod or stem 5; the latter being movable endwise by means of an eccentric 6 which is 0nd flexible tube 15 with a water receptacle fixed to theiri'ner end of a horizontal shaftv 7' 14 and connected at its lower end by ,a sec- I an electric resistance 17 mounted in it and controlled n any suitable manner, so as to enable the tests to be carried out at a constanttemperature, as is desirable. ,All 'these parts are, ormay be, similar to the corre sponding parts in the patented construction.

In place of the screw-operated, verticallymovableplate which, in the patented construction, coacts with the fixed plate 2, there is utilized in the present arrangement a piece being determined .by a gauge or stop 20 that serves to limit themovement of plate 18. The latter is provided with an opening 21 directly above the test piece; and this openin is normally closed by a plug 22 which lsrremovable to permit the distention of the portion of the test piece thereby exposed in the same general manner as in the earlier apparatus. The lower portionof the plug is made frusto-conical, while the upper portion is cylindrical and is threaded, and

the wall of the opening 21 is similarly shaped and threads such construction enabhng the plug to be rotated to prevent it.

from stickin to thetest piece. As will be understood, 'owever, the plug 22occupies the opening 21 in plate 18 when the latter is being used to flatten-the lump of dough initially laced on plate 2, during whic time the va vs 4 likewise occupies the o. ning 3. I In addition to'tube 12, a secon tube 23 opens at one end into chamber 9, and com- 'municates at its other end with an expansible and contractible diaphragm 24 arranged within a chamber or case 25 that is attached to the main case or chamber 26 of the registering mechanism. This mechanism, as 'to its precise details, formsno part of the invention and may, therefore, be of any suitable or desired form, and the same is equally .true of the operatin device 24. In the arrangement illustrate the upper wall of the diaphragm or vessel 24 is connected by a lever system 27 with a stylus lever or indicator 28 adaptedto travel over the surface drum, the latter being rotated at a constant speed in any desired manner.

It will be apparent that some of the air I or other pressure fluid forced into chamber 9 will be discharged therefrom through tube 23 into diaphragm 24. Thelatter will expand and contract proportionately to the ressure variations of the fluid and in so oing will operate the indicator 28 to plot. a curve 30 on the record sheet on' drum 29. One of such curves is represented in Fig. 2.

Tests are conducted in the following manner: A sample'of the particular flour under investigation is'kneaded with a certain definite recentage of water until a homogeneous dbugh is obtained and then this dough is cut into pieces of uniform shape. Plu'gs 4' and 22 belng fixed in their respective seats 3 and 21 and plate 18 being raised, one of the said pieces is placed in the-center of plate 2 and then p ate 18 is lowered until 1t meets stop 20. Plug 22 is then removed 25 and .plug or valve 4 lowered. The compressed piece of dough may then'be con-- .sidered, as divided .into two zones, one of Y which, the central one, has the form ofa disk of predetermined, definite dimensions which constitutes the test piece proper and isv adapted to be expanded upward throu h opening 21, while the other one, i. e'., 't e peripheral one held'between the two plates,

will serve as a fastening for the test piece. The operatin flask 16 is then employed 'toforce into 0 amber 9 beneath the test piece air or other gaseous res'ure fluid to gradually distend said doug which assumes to the measuring 't'u a globular or spherical shape, the walls of the sphere becoming thinner as its radius inc. The water flow is' stopped when the sphere breaks; Gau the water forced in- 13 permits the total amount of ressui'e fluid in ected into chamber 9 to be own, and from this can be determined the area of the surface of the sphere at the moment of breaking.

It has been. proven that the tenaciousness of the dough, measured by the maximum air pressure, is functional of the amount of water absorbable b theflour in the course of panification, an that a 'sim leratio exists between the volume of air that will break the film and the s ifie volume of bread obtainable with suc flour.

. Air ressure rises from O to M; then gradua y decreases as the test iece is distended into a thin film and fina ly drops to zero when the film bursts. Two magnitudes are desired in the diagram: maximum ordi piece is equal to the work eifected by the air pressure, such work being expressed by the equation.

' Vr T= 'pd'vfi 0 I The function f' (4)) being graphically obtained, the -vamultiplying the surface included between the curve, the axis of the abscissae and the final ordinate N.Vr by the value in ergs of one square centimeter of the surface of the diaam given by the experimenting conditions. inall the work ratio is calculated between work and the weight Q, ofthe test piece under trial, which must awa after each test.

be cut off and laid ue of T is determined by T ema itudeso obtained will vary withbeen made, and measuring the said magni-' tude will permit determination of the bread making value of such wheat. Iclaim as my invention 1. Apparatus for determining the elastic properties of plastic materials, comprising coacting fixed and-movable plates, the movable plate being pivotally mounted at one end ,to swing toward the fixed plate and thereby compress between the two plates a s imen of, the material'to be tested, to

one plate having a" part thereof removable to expose a corresponding portion of the test piece" and means for applying fluid pressure directly back of the exposed portion of the test piece to distend said portion through the opening formed consequent upon the removal of said removable part.

2. In an apparatus for determining the elastic properties of orm a test piece of predetermined thickness,

I lastic materials, co-

acting fixedand mova le plates formclampingjbetween them a test piece of the material to e tested; one plate being formed with a relatively-large circular opening to expose aborrespondmgportion of the test piece, theinner portion of the wall of such opening being frusto-conical and the outer portion cylindrical and threaded; and a removable plug for closing said opening having a frusto-conical, inner portion tov seat in the inner portion of the opening and a threaded cylindrical outer portion to fit in the outer portion of said opening and engage the threads thereon.

3. In an apparatus for determining the elastic properties of plastic materials, a g

fixed plate, a hin ed plate mounted to swing toward the fixe plate so as-to clamp tween the two plates a test piece of the material to be tested; one plate being formed witha relatively-large circular opening to expose a corresponding portion ofthe test piece, the inner portion of the wall ofsuch opening being frusto-conical and the outer material being tested, sai

elastic properties of portion cylindrical and threaded; and a re-' movable plug for closing said opening having a frusto-conical inner portion to seat in the inner portion of the opening, and a threaded cylindrical outer portion to fit in the outer portion of said opening and engage the threads thereon. 1

4. In an apparatus for determining the elastic properties of plastic materials, clamping means for hol a test piece of the material being tested, said means including a member which is removable therefrom to expose a definite portion of the test piece; means for applying fluid pressure directly back of suchv exposed portion to distend the sameto the int of rupture; and means for automatic y charting'the. curve of the pressure variations of the fluid during suc distention. a

5; In an apparatus for determining the elastic properties of plastic materials, clamping means for holdin a test piece of the means including a member whlch is removable=therefrom to expose a definite portion ofthe test piece; means for applying fluidpressure y back ofsuch exposed portion to distend the same to the point of rupture; and means in operative connection with the pressure fluid circuit for automatically chartrn the curve ofthe pressure variations of the uid during such distention.

In an apparatus for dete the plastic materials clamping means for holding a. test piece the material being tested, said means includ-- ing a member which is removable therefrom" to expose a definite portion of thetest piece;

means for applying fluid pressure directly,

exposed portion to distend the back of such sameito the point of rupture; and means in I operative connection with the pressure fluid circuit for constantly indicatin the variations in the pressure of uid during such distention. v

7. A method of determining the elastic properties 'of plastic materials, comprising the steps of forming a test piece of constant properties of plastic materials, comprising the steps of compressin a specimen of the material to be tested to orm a la er of constantpredeterminedthickness; re 'eving the presure upon a definite portion-of the yer while maintaining the pressure upon the remainder thereof; applying pressure against said portion to distend it to the rupture point; and constantly indicating the pressure variations during such distention.

9. A method'of determining the elastic properties of plastic materials, comprising the steps of compressing a specimen of the material to be tested to form a layer of constant predetermined thickness; relievin the pressure upon a definite portion of the ayer while maintaining the pressure upon the pp y rm e recording t e remainder thereof; against said portion to distend it ture point; and constantly presure throughout suchdistention.

In testimony whereof I'afiix my signatotheru MARCEL; atom. 

